Israeli startup Believer Meats has begun building the world’s largest cultured meat factory in the United States. When fully operational, the facility will have a production capacity of approximately 10,000 tons per year.
According to its creators, the gigantic factory located in the city of Wilson, North Carolina, will have more than 18 thousand square meters of built area to produce this type of sustainable food, without the need to slaughter a single animal.
“With this factory, we will be one step closer to commercialization for the final consumer. We want to set a global standard to enable future generations to eat and enjoy meat without having to sacrifice other living things,” said Believer Meats CEO Nicole Johnson-Hoffman in a press release.
lab meat
Cultured meat is produced by combining muscle cells — extracted from live animals — with substances that help this material grow. The mixture is then placed in a machine called a bioreactor, which provides the ideal conditions for the cells to multiply.
Because this lab meat is molecularly identical to what comes from whole animals, it tastes very similar. With this production system, it is possible to interrupt the process of slaughtering animals, without giving up the habit of eating hamburgers and chicken, for example.
“For cultured meat to have any real impact on the food industry, companies need to drastically reduce their costs. This usually means increasing production, making the product more affordable in the market,” adds Hoffman.
When will it be ready?
According to the official website of Believer Meats, the cultured meat factory will be fully operational in early 2023. However, even if the company manages to meet this deadline, it still needs approval from health authorities in the United States to start selling its product. .
So far, only UPSIDE Foods has been granted partial authorization to build a similar facility on US soil. Even so, she is also not allowed to sell the lab-grown meat directly to the final consumer.
“The future of food starts with what we do today, and we are on the path to creating the change we seek. Through affordability and availability, we want our products to become the meat of choice globally, and with our new production facility, we’re on the way to that,” concluded Nicole Johnson-Hoffman.
Source: Newswire
